


Not Alone Anymore

by celtic7irish



Series: Tony Stark Bingo 2019 [12]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Author is bad at tagging, Bucky needs a hug, Don't Try This At Home, Enthusiastic Consent, Fade to Black, Happy Ending, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Hydra will always be the villain, Identity Porn, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, M/M, Marriage Contract, Mpreg, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Omega Tony Stark, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, Tony Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Feels, Tony was 16 when his first heat hit, everybody needs a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-19 14:28:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20211280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celtic7irish/pseuds/celtic7irish
Summary: Bucky Barnes works for Hydra.  Recalled from his latest mission to claim Maveth's newest Omega, Bucky is in for a surprise.This is a remix of One and One Makes Three, but from Bucky's POV





	1. Recalled

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [One And One Makes Three](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19094002) by [celtic7irish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/celtic7irish/pseuds/celtic7irish). 

> This is for Tony Stark Bingo Square R5: Writing Format: Remix one of your fics

Bucky wiped the blood off of his blade, very pointedly not looking at the body on the ground behind him. The man had been a liar and thief, so it wasn’t a great loss to society, but he’d been killed for no other reason than that he’d stolen some minor token from the wrong man. Lord Sterns did not care that the man had four tiny mouths to feed, or that bit of coin he’d pickpocketed while the Lord wasn’t watching had barely been enough to buy bread for the week. He cared only that a peasant had dared to take his money, and now the poor man had paid for it with his life. Bucky only hoped the children would be taken in by the neighbors, or were old enough to survive on their own in the streets of Manhattan.

Bucky shuddered, thinking about the one man in this whole city that might be able to change it, once he became Lord of the land. Tony might be an Omega, but he was smart and sarcastic and unafraid to stand up to even the angriest Alpha if he felt that he was right and the Alpha was wrong. Tony had often spoken to Bucky of the things he wanted to change, lying in bed after a shared Heat, clean and calm for a short while before Bucky had to leave again, to go serve his country. He told Tony that he was a handyman, that he traveled across the Kingdom, helping people, the poor and wealthy alike. It was a lie that lay bitter on his tongue every time he had to excuse himself from Tony’s bed, one that made him feel unworthy to soil someone as good and pure as the young Omega. But admitting that he served Hydra - through no choice of his own - as a spy and assassin - would do nothing but push Tony away, towards another Alpha that wouldn’t care about him the same way, wouldn’t love him, wouldn’t be gentle with him even in the throes of Heat. Maybe especially, then. All Alphas knew how desperate Omegas got when they went under.

“Impressive as always,” Rollins drawled from behind him, and Bucky scowled, biting back the snarl that wanted to escape. Duke Pierce didn’t trust Bucky, not really, and he’d remind him of his place in the hierarchy every now and again by sending a few of his Alpha Soldiers to make sure Bucky was still following orders and hadn’t tried to do something stupid, like run away, or betray Hydra.

“Don’t you have somethin’ better to be doin’ than skulkin’ around bein’ obvious?” Bucky growled, glaring at the other Alpha. He hated it when Hydra infiltrated Manhattan, even if it was only temporarily. He wasn’t usually territorial, but it was different, knowing that they were anywhere near Tony, that at any moment, one of them could be ordered to manipulate Tony, or kill him. Hydra held a very low opinion of Omegas, and Howard had never hidden his disappointment in his son, and as much as it pained him to think it, Bucky realized that both those things had probably spared Tony’s life. His strength and willfulness were just considered ‘eccentric’.

“New orders,” Rollins snapped back. “You’re to report back to the Duke. Immediately,” he added, like Bucky hadn’t figured it out. Alexander Pierce was not known for his patience. Still, he usually didn’t send out one of his chief Alpha soldiers to carry _messages_. They had more important things to do. Which meant that whatever Pierce wanted, it probably didn’t bode well for Bucky. It also meant that he wouldn’t be able to join Tony for his Heat this month. Bucky silently debated the chances that he could pass a message to Tony, even as he acknowledged Rollins’ orders.

When Rollins made no move to leave, but instead fell into step at Bucky’s side, the Alpha looked at him. Rollins looked smug. “Just making sure you make it back safely. And don’t take any...detours,” he warned, making Bucky’s shoulders tense. He’d been really careful about his liaisons with Tony, but perhaps not careful enough. Did they know?

“What’s that s’posed to mean?” he asked, careful to put just the right amount of offense into his tone to let Rollins know he wasn’t happy with the other man’s oversight, but he wasn’t worried, either.

Rollins clapped him on the shoulder, and Bucky resisted the urge to turn around and stab the other Alpha. “Congratulations, Barnes. You’re about to be married!”

And if Alexander punished him later for stabbing Rollins in the shoulder, it would still be worth it.


	2. Time to Face the Music

“Everythin’ okay?” Bucky asked. “Nobody’s botherin’ you?”

Becca rolled her eyes at him. “I’m fine, runt,” she replied bluntly, in the middle of observing the childrens’ bath time. Bucky carefully kept his eyes averted, uncomfortable. “I haven’t even had to put up with the usual Alpha Jerks. They’re too busy talking about the new guy.” Eyes the same slate grey as his own slid over to him. “I hear the guy is a Lord’s son,” she added casually. “Any idea what that’s about?”

Bucky shook his head, then realized his sister couldn’t see him. “Not really,” he shrugged. It wasn’t even a complete lie. He’d yet to meet the new Omega breeder, and if he was honest with himself, he was putting it off as long as possible. Hydra only ever had one use for Omegas, and Bucky was looking at it. Breeders, made to bear children to be raised on Hydra’s indoctrination. Alpha children would become soldiers. Beta children would be taught politics and intelligence gathering. And Omega children? They would be raised to be subservient and obedient to the whims and needs of the Alphas and Betas, and would eventually be forced to serve their own term as breeders of Maveth.

Bucky swallowed, shifting uncomfortably. He hated it down here, hated the way the other Omegas - male and female - flinched away from his presence and made themselves as unobtrusive as possible. He hated the way the air here was so very stifling, scenting of fear and resignation and hopelessness. He wished sometimes that he was brave and strong enough to lead them out of here, but he couldn’t do it, not on his own. The best he could do was to provide as much information as he could to the people who actually _could_ do something to help these people, and then get himself out of Maveth as quickly as possible during the ensuing chaos.

Months of planning had almost come to naught when one of Duke Pierce’s personal carriages passed through Queensland, accidentally stumbling across Sir Rogers’ scouting regiment, but they’d managed to scramble well enough to launch an attack and give Hydra the impression that they had simply been patrolling their borders, on the lookout for any Hydra soldiers stupid enough to encroach on their territory. Bucky had a sinking suspicion about Hydra’s presence where they had no reason to be, but the Queensland guards were still interrogating the Alpha they’d managed to capture (a second one had died during the skirmish, and Bucky couldn’t bring himself to care), and Bucky was here, in Maveth, waiting for a signal with no clue what was going on.

Becca shoved at his shoulder, and Bucky blinked down at her, startled out of his brooding thoughts. Becca’s eyes narrowed. “You know more than you’re letting on,” she stated. Bucky looked away, and she made a sound of triumph. “Well?” she demanded, impatient as ever. Around her, the bathers started removing the children from their baths, very carefully _not listening_ to the conversation happening behind them. Omegas were not to be seen or heard except when they were _useful_. In other words, in Heat. And no Omega down here was likely to have another Heat ever again. It was awful.

Bucky shrugged irritably, trying not to think about things that hadn’t happened yet. “Why d’you think I’m back here so early?” he asked, scowling. “I was s’posed to be on assignment for another three weeks.”

Becca’s eyes widened almost comically, and she made a strangled sound, her hands lifting to cover her mouth. “No,” she said, the words muffled by the press of fingers against her lips, which did nothing to hide the genuine horror in her tone.

Bucky sighed. “Yeah,” he agreed glumly. He’d never before been the first to claim an Omega for Hydra, but he knew how it worked. The Omega’s Heat would be induced, and Bucky would get to have him or her, but he wouldn’t be allowed to leave a Claim Mark. If the Omega became pregnant during the first Heat, then they would be handed over into Bucky’s care until the child was born. If pregnancy did not occur, another Heat would be induced within a week, barely giving the Omega time to recover, and they would be handed over to another Alpha soldier that had earned Pierce’s favor.

“Oh, Bucky,” Becca said, making the Alpha’s shoulders hunch up around his ears, “I’m so sorry. I know you didn’t want this, that you’re only here because of me.” Bucky was already shaking his head, ready to deny it, but Becca just gave him a steady look, and he subsided. They’d had this argument before. He never won. “But I’m glad you’ll be the first,” she said, her hands reaching out to touch Bucky’s face, only trembling a little bit as she gave her older brother a shaky smile. “You’ll be kind, won’t you?”

Bucky nodded, closing his eyes and hating himself. _Kindness_ from him would only make it worse when the Omega was inevitably handed over to another Alpha, someone like Rollins. Or Rumlow. Bucky wouldn’t be doing them any favors at all, and yet, he knew he wouldn’t be able to be anything except gentle with them, knowing they were already scared and missing their homes and families and completely ignorant of the fate that awaited them.

Bucky opened his mouth, not sure what was going to come out of it - he just seemed to be spilling his damn heart all over the place today, when Becca stiffened and looked away. A moment later, the scent of another Alpha wound its way into the room, edged with a hint of something _other_. Bucky sniffed discreetly, then bit back a low growl when he realized that the Alpha smelled of _Omega_. And not just any Omega. No, Bucky would know that scent anywhere.

_Tony_.

It took seeing his sister flinch to stop the low, possessive growl coming from his throat, and Bucky grimaced. Dammit.

“I think the kids are ready to come out,” Bucky suggested softly. “They’re turning pruny.”

Becca nodded. “Yes, of course. Alpha Barnes. Alpha Rumlow,” she greeted, eyes averted and head down in deference to those of a higher station. Bucky knew she hated it, but unless she wanted another beating - like the one that had taken away her ability to bear children - she would continue to at least play at being the submissive, terrified Omega that the Alphas expected. It wasn’t even all pretend, as her scent had turned sour as she turned to walk away towards the children.

Bucky turned to Rumlow, not bothering to hide his annoyance. He’d already given himself away, but Rumlow probably didn’t know about his connection to Tony. “What is it?” he demanded, baring his teeth at the other Alpha.

The brunette just smirked. “Your Omega is ready for you,” he said, eyes glinting with amused malice. “He’s a real feisty one.”

Bucky scowled. “Anybody touch him?” he demanded, not sure what he was going to do if the answer was _yes_. But Rollins had told him that this new Omega was his, a reward for being such an _asset_ to Hydra’s ranks. If anybody had touched Tony inappropriately, then Bucky could claim insult. Duke Pierce would probably allow it, too, because it would amuse him to see two Alphas fighting over an Omega.

“Naw,” Rumlow said, shrugging. “But the guy already tried to escape once, so Ward had to...insist that he not try that again.” Bucky didn’t know what that meant, but it made him uneasy, and he turned, heading up towards his rooms, where there would no doubt be guards stationed outside to keep the Omega from escaping - and to make sure Bucky was doing his job. Namely, the Omega.

“Well, he’s no longer your concern,” Bucky told him, stalking down the long hallway. “I’ll take care of the Omega. So how about you go be a good little Alpha soldier and find someone to kill or extort or something.”

“You should watch your tongue before I rip it out,” Rumlow warned, and he was angry now. Good. “You don’t need to talk to do your duty for Hydra. Or to fuck an Omega.” Bucky ignored him, knowing that if he turned around, he was going to attack the other Alpha and do his best to kill him, regardless of any punishment he might suffer later. 

Fortunately, before Rumlow could open his mouth again, Rollins appeared, calling him away to report to Pierce. Before they left, Rumlow left a parting shot. “I trust you can find your own way to your Omega?” he asked.

Bucky just flipped him off, but as soon as Rollins and Rumlow were out of hearing, he picked up his pace, nearly running to his rooms, his brain starting a frantic chant of _Tony, Tony, Tony_. 

As he turned the corner where his room was, he slowed down, nodding at the guards stationed outside of his room and cocking an eyebrow at the kid standing between them uncomfortably, his hand raised at an awkward angle to knock on the door, a bundle of supplies in his arms. Bucky carefully schooled his expression to keep from showing his relief. Peter was a good kid, and while he wouldn’t be able to reassure Tony that nothing bad was going to happen to him, he at least wouldn’t hurt him.

“Here, hand ‘em over, kid,” he told Peter, who eyed him warily for a moment before sighing and handing over his burden, his eyes wide as he tried to communicate something to Bucky without alerting the guards. “I got this. Go do...I don’t know, something that’s not here,” he ordered, softening his expression just slightly. _I’ll take care of him_.

Peter nodded. “Y-yes, sir,” he managed to stammer, before all but bolting down the hallway, leaving Bucky standing there with a bundle of…blankets and water bottles and rations. Enough to get them both through a Heat. Hopefully.

Ignoring the snicker of the guards, Bucky reached out and knocked on his own door before opening it.

“It’s about time you got here,” said Tony’s familiar voice when Bucky pushed the door open, his scent already ramping up into Heat-scent. There was something else there, too, but Bucky didn’t recognize it, so he dismissed it. It wasn’t pain or fear or anger. At least, not yet.

Bucky stepped inside, watching recognition strike Tony as the Omega staggered back until he hit the bed, staring at him with wide, surprised eyes. “Bucky?” he asked, his legs giving out from under him.

Bucky dropped the stack of items he’d been carrying, heedless of the way they spilled to the floor, the shock running through him. He’d known, in his head, that it was Tony that Hydra had ‘bought’ to be the new Omega, but actually seeing him here still somehow took him by surprise.

“Tony,” he said, trying not to whimper as he slammed the door behind him. “You...what’re you doin’ here?” That was a dumb question, he knew what Tony was doing here, but why him? Did Pierce know about their liaisons? Or was Bucky just that damn unlucky? “Oh my god. They tol’ me they picked an Omega f’r me, tol’ me I had to come back or let you suffer. I had to come back. I sent a note t’you. Back in Brooklyn.” A note that had never reached him. That never _would_ reach him. Not that the note would’ve been anything close to the truth, anyhow.

Tony’s hands were covering his mouth now, his scent swinging wildly between want and horror, and Bucky realized that Tony hadn’t known. He hadn’t known which Alpha he was being handed over to. Pierce had undoubtedly couched the terms in a marriage contract, though once Tony was in Maveth, Hydra would do as they pleased, contract be damned. It’s not like Lord Stark would expect to see his son ever again.

Before Bucky could move forward to reassure Tony, the other man was staggering to his feet, stumbling towards Bucky. The Alpha reached out for him, still frozen to the spot. “Tony,” he said softly, helplessly. “I’m sorry it has to be like this. I’ll explain everythin’, I promise. Just...please?” he asked, not entirely sure what he was asking.

Tony stopped in front of him, tipping his head to meet Bucky’s eyes, the confusion slowly turning to anger. “Tony?” Bucky asked, uncertain what the Omega was thinking. “Darlin’?” He was starting to get worried about what Pierce and his guards might have done to his lover before he’d gotten there.

The slightest narrowing of Tony’s eyes was all the warning he had before the Omega reared back and punched Bucky right in the face. Bucky stumbled back, lifting his hand to prod tentatively at his now-bloody lip. Tony looked fiercely pleased with himself, and Bucky admitted wryly that he had probably had that punch coming for some time now. He supposed that he should consider himself lucky that Tony hadn’t decided to bite him.

Tony reached for him again, and Bucky didn’t have time to flinch before the Omega was pulling him forward into a hard kiss, the scent of his heat rising all around them. Bucky kissed him back, walking them both back towards the bed. As Tony dropped to the bed, Bucky on top of him, the Alpha growled. Tony growled back, wrapping his legs around Bucky’s hips, and Bucky let go, drowning in Tony’s scent and in his arms.

The rest of the world could fucking wait.


	3. Moving Ahead

Tony stretched, then curled up tighter under the thick comforter, pressing back against Bucky, who just tightened his arms around him. They were both sated, warm, and clean, though it had taken some fast talking on Bucky’s part to convince the Alpha guards that they needed a bath drawn. He hoped that Tony would forgive his cruel words if he had overheard them, but Omegas were weak, useless things in Hydra’s eyes, and while Bucky didn’t believe a word of that shit, he was still expected to act a certain part as one of Hydra’s elite Alpha soldiers. And really, after he’d killed the first Alpha to interrupt them in the middle of Tony’s Heat, the rest had backed off, content to guard the doors. 

The only other interruption had been Peter, bringing more Heat supplies and informing Bucky that Duke Pierce was calling for him. Bucky hadn’t wanted to go, of course, to leave his vulnerable Omega in the throes of his Heat, but one didn’t keep Pierce waiting, and so he had gone. He’d kept the meeting as brief as Pierce would allow, mostly defending his right to have shot the Alpha soldier that had interrupted him.

Bucky nuzzled at Tony’s throat, where the Bond Mark would go. “What’re you thinking about, kotenok?” he murmured, petting soothingly down Tony’s side and flank. They were both too tired to do anything more, but Bucky couldn’t resist the urge to touch, to reassure himself that his Omega was safe and happy and healthy. Tony was purring, soft and quiet.

“I’m not staying here,” Tony told him after a long pause. He’d stiffened a bit, but Bucky just kept petting him, reassuring him. _I’m here, I’ve got you, you’re mine, I’ll keep you safe._ “You know that, right?” Tony insisted. “Whether you come with me or not, I’m not staying in Maveth.”

Bucky blinked. He’d never even considered forcing Tony to stay here. While he’d been gone, he’d managed to get a note smuggled out. “Of course not,” he answered with conviction, absolutely sure about this one thing. “This is no place for an Omega. I’m so sorry that you ended up here.” The guilt would haunt him for a long time to come yet. While he couldn’t possibly have known about a marriage contract written twelve years earlier, or known that Tony Stark would end up here, in Maveth of all places, that didn’t stop the guilt.

Tony had twisted his head so he could look up at Bucky, who looked back down at him, not trying to hide the worry in his expression. His mind was already spinning. “The guards are posted to keep you from leaving,” he whispered, leaning down to murmur in Tony’s ears. “I’ll be sent on a mission as soon as they’re sure your Heat is over, and when I get back, you will no longer be mine.” Except that he never intended to let it get that far.

Tony froze, then rolled the rest of the way over, sitting up and glaring at Bucky, who cringed in the face of the Omega’s anger. “What do you mean I won’t be yours?” he hissed. “The whole purpose of this was to marry me off to an Alpha Soldier of Hydra. Lord James Barnes,” he said, and his tone was mocking. And since Bucky had only gone by his nickname, Tony would have had no idea who he was being married off to until Bucky had walked into the room. While that had probably been good for authenticity, it would have caused his Omega so much needless stress

Bucky swallowed. He didn’t know if he could explain enough to make Tony trust him without revealing what was happening, but he was damn well going to try. “Hydra doesn’t have a lotta Omegas,” he started. Tony nodded, unsurprised. “This place is meant for Soldiers, for Alphas. A few Betas, who’re even more ruthless than the Alphas.” He’d seen it first hand, the way the Betas fought and bickered amongst themselves, the way they insinuated themselves in places of rank, of influence. Grant Ward had almost single-handedly taken down the Hill clan, and had been the one to lead the raid on Bucky’s village on the outskirts of Queensland. If Bucky had a chance, he would see Ward dead before he left Maveth.

Bucky forged ahead. If he didn’t get this all out now, he never would. “Omegas are only for breedin’, for makin’ more Hydra soldiers.” He didn’t know what expression was on his face, but he tightened his arms around Tony, and the Omega pressed a gentle kiss against his shoulder with an encouraging noise. “You’ll be bred and forced to bear children for several Alphas, until you can’t anymore. Then you’ll be put to work raisin’ the children of the next Omega.” It was a horrible fate, and it made Bucky sick to think about it happening to anyone, much less to Tony.

As he had spoken, Tony’s skin had gone a horrible shade of pale, his scent turning to fear and desperation.. Taking a deep breath, he blurted out, “I’m already with child.” Bucky froze, his brain not processing what he was hearing. Tony gave him a little shake. “Yours. It’s yours,” the Omega told him, gripping his arms tightly. “From my last Heat. I was going to tell you, and then my father gave me to Hydra.”

Bucky sat up. “But...your Heat,” he protested weakly. Pregnant Omegas didn’t have Heats. At least not natural ones.

“Forced,” Tony told him, confirming his fears. His grip eased up a bit, nails no longer digging into Tony’s skin. “They gave me something, and it started my Heat. You should’ve had three more days, remember?”

Bucky thought about that, doing some quick math in his head. Tony was right, there was no way Tony’s Heat should have started early. He’d always been very consistent, once every three months and lasting for five days. Bucky had to be so, so careful to find an excuse for the days he was with his lover, and he never took any more days than he absolutely had to, lest Pierce send somebody to look for him and discover his secret.

Bucky knew he’d already made his decision, even as he twisted away from Tony and left the bed, already missing the Omegas touch.

“Wait. Where are you going?” Tony asked, and his voice sounded so small, so unlike him that it pinged every last one of Bucky’s protective instincts. All he wanted to do was turn around and crawl back into the bed, wrap himself around his Omega and never let go. But he couldn’t do that, and so he quickly found his trousers and tunic, pulling them on before turning back around and dropping a quick, chaste kiss on the Omega’s pouting mouth. “I need t’go talk to someone,” he said. “I’ll be quick. Promise. Jus’...just stay here, okay? Please?” he asked. Begged, really. He needed Tony to stay put. He wouldn’t be safe for long, now that his Heat was over, but he would be safe for a little while, at least. Hopefully long enough for Bucky to do what he needed to do.

Tony hesitated for only a moment before nodding, settling back down on the bed and pulling the comforter up to his shoulders. Bucky lingered for another moment, worried, but there wasn’t much he could do from here. If Tony was going to try to escape, then Bucky’s presence or lack thereof wouldn’t change that.

With one last longing look back, Bucky finally left the room, closing the heavy doors behind him. “Make sure he stays put,” he told the soldiers. “I have something to attend to, and I expect him to be right where I left him, ready for me when I return.” The Alpha guards leered at each other, acknowledging Bucky’s orders. Taking a deep breath and settling himself - it wouldn’t do to scent like nervousness, unless he wanted the Alphas to attack him - Bucky turned and walked away. He had one stop to make before he could go meet his contact.

Bucky found Peter in the kitchens, one of the few places that was safe from Alphas. His lanky form was seated on a stool in front of the kitchen island, where he was helping to peel onions for the night’s dinner. “Parker,” Bucky said from right behind him, startling him. Fortunately, Peter only dropped the knife and jerked off the stool and onto the ground (Bucky would’ve probably thrown the knife and launched himself at the intruder). Bucky winced. “Sorry, kid,” he muttered, but Peter was already shaking his head, scrambling to his feet.

“Oh, no, it was my fault!” he said, always quick to take the blame. It was one of his more annoying features, but it had probably saved him from more than one severe beating from an unhappy Alpha over the past several months since the boy had been abandoned to Hydra’s mercy when his uncle had been killed for displeasing Pierce after failing to save a sickly Omega during childbirth. Peter seemed to realize that Bucky was in the kitchen - a place he had no reason to be - and he blinked. “Um…is Master Tony okay?” he asked tentatively, and Bucky was pleased that Tony had taken a liking to the boy as well. That boded well for the immediate future.

“Yeah, he’s fine,” Bucky confirmed, and Peter’s shoulders relaxed. “But I need you to do somethin’ for me, okay?” he asked.

Peter straightened his spine and pulled his shoulders back, standing almost at attention, and Bucky smiled, pleased. Glancing around to make sure they were alone except for Peter and the head chef, a lady named Helen who cared not at all for Pierce or his goons and would cheerfully pretend she’d been in the back pantry the whole time, Bucky made his request. “I need to run an errand real quick, and I need you to stay with Tony and make sure he _doesn’t leave the room_. Think you can do that for me?” 

Peter blinked. “Sure, but where-?” Bucky’s glare cut him off with an ‘eep’, and he scrambled out of the kitchen on light feet. “Sorry, Miss Cho!” he called as he left. “Gotta go!”

Helen just shook her head as they both watched the boy nearly collide with the wall before straightening himself out. “It’ll be a miracle if that boy survives his own growth spurt,” she mused impishly. Bucky nodded in agreement, remembering how awkward Steve had been when he’d gone from sickly runt to Prime Alpha.

Helen thrust a folded cloth at him. “For the road,” she said abruptly, then turned and left. Bucky smiled at her retreating back, waiting until she had disappeared from view before ‘sneaking’ out the kitchen door and into the alleyway behind the kitchens. It was time to put years’ worth of planning into motion. 

Before he’d made it a dozen yards from the castle, Bucky’s name was called, and he was forced to stop and turn around.

“Barnes,” Johann Schmidt said, sauntering casually up to him, like he expected Bucky to just stand there and wait. He wasn’t wrong. Even among Alphas, Schmidt was to be feared. He’d been badly burned in a fire years ago, and he didn’t bother to hide his injuries in the slightest. And he was cruel, even by Hydra standards. People would confess to anything just to not have to face him, would gladly throw themselves onto their own swords to avoid interrogation. Alongside Baron Wolfgang von Strucker and Helmut Zemo, the three men made up the top tier of Hydra, answering directly to the Duke and the Royal Family.

“Yes, sir?” Bucky asked, keeping his expression neutral, almost bored. Schmidt’s grotesque smile told him that his fear-scent was bleeding through his mask, but he refused to give the other man the satisfaction of seeing him cringe away.

“I’m here to inform you that you have been given a very important mission. Perform admirably, and the Winter Soldier will become one of Hydra’s lieutenants. Fail, and you will not survive the night.”

Bucky narrowed his eyes, straightening his spine and tilting his chin up defiantly. “What’s the job?” he growled.

Schmidt’s smile widened, making him look manic. “You will kill the Knight of Queensland before the dawn. He has been a thorn in Hydra’s side for long enough. And we,” he said, gesturing to the men pulling up behind him on horses, “will make certain that he is dead.”

Bucky took one look at Hydra’s best strike team, and bit back a groan of dismay. Of course they would send him after Steve. If he succeeded, Steve’s people would kill him. If he failed, Strike Team Alpha would take his head from his shoulders. And if he did neither, then Tony and his sister - and probably Peter - would pay the price for his insubordination. Clint had warned him that he was playing with fire when he’d started playing both sides. And now his prediction was coming to fruition.

Bucky was never going to hear the end of this.


	4. Heroic Rescue

“So let me get this straight,” Clint said, staring at Bucky incredulously. “Alphahole Pierce wrote up a marriage contract twelve years ago for you and a random Omega, and it turns out that the Omega just so happens to be your four-times-a-year lover, who is also the son of a Lord, and now you want to ruin years of careful planning to go forth into battle to rescue him from becoming a breeder?”

Bucky growled at the Beta, but Clint didn’t flinch. He’d been around long enough to be secure in his position as a friend, even if he was an asshole.

Leaning against the tree next to him was Steve Rogers, lauded Knight and ruler of Queensland. His brows were furrowed slightly in that concerned, slightly disapproving way he had. “I agree with Bucky,” he said at last, leaving both men staring at him agape. He met their gazes challengingly. “We’re not going to get any more prepared than we are right now, and they’re not expecting an attack to rescue a single Omega. They’ll be looking for a catalyst, for us to push a little and see what happens, not an all-out assault on the Duke’s castle.”

There was a low rustling noise, and a slender form slipped through the underbrush, appearing from seemingly nowhere. Clint grinned at his sister (Bucky didn’t believe for a moment that they were actually related). “Problem taken care of?”

“Of course,” the woman, Natalia, answered cooly, turning icy green eyes Bucky’s way. “No thanks to your friend here,” she added pointedly.

Bucky grimaced. Steve gripped his shoulder and squeezed comfortingly. “Don’t worry about it, Buck,” he murmured. “She has a personal stake in this. She works in the Brooklyn Manor.” Bucky tried not to show his surprise, but he studied the redhead a little more intently. Natalia Romanova was not at all like Bucky would have expected of a member of Clint’s makeshift little family. Of course, neither was Phil Coulson, so Bucky supposed he really shouldn’t judge.

Bucky turned back to Steve. “Look,” he said, “as nice as it’s been catching up, I really have to get back. I’m sure Pierce is expecting me to be either dead or gone by now, and Tony and Becca are still there.” He was on the outermost edge of Queensland, in Steve’s camp, but it was still several hours’ ride back to Pierce’s stronghold, and Bucky didn’t have the time to waste. Turning around, he clambered onto the back of a fresh horse - his own would be left here to rest - and nodded to Steve before clicking his tongue and urging the horse into a quick trot. He’d give the horse free reign to gallop as soon as they hit flat ground.

As he left Steve and his men breaking camp behind him, Bucky just prayed that he wasn’t already too late.

Bucky was only about ten miles out when Steve and a handful of others caught up to him, and Bucky leaned over his horse’s neck, urging him to move faster as they tore through Hydra’s lands, ignoring the startled villagers in their wake. Most of the commonfolk in Maveth didn’t give a damn about their overlords and would just as soon see them overthrown as victorious, so as long as Bucky kept to the outskirts of the villages, nobody was likely to raise an alarm.

They slowed as the approached the castle, Barton and Romanov breaking off with a few other people to find better vantage points and take out any opponents that tried to flank them. As Pierce’s stronghold came into view, soldiers already mobilizing, Steve yelled over at Bucky, “Your Omega had better be worth it!”

Bucky grinned, drawing a pair of guns that Tony had made special for him (he had been showing off, but Bucky had loved how intricately they were designed and how well they fit in his grip and Tony had been so pleased that he’d rewarded Bucky by doing the most amazing thing ever with his tongue, and Bucky remembered that particular Heat every time he held them in his grip).

“You’re gonna love him,” he promised.

And later, after they’d rescued Hydra’s Omegas and found Tony and Peter, who were giving the Alphas a challenge, Bucky had held a sword to Pierce’s throat and smiled at his Omega. “I could have told you that my Omega was a handful,” he drawled, staking his claim and watching the pleased blush cross Tony’s cheeks, his eyes sparkling with amusement and adrenaline making him practically vibrate in place. “You’re lucky he didn’t set the bedroom on fire.”

“That was one time,” Tony had muttered, ducking his head and peeking shyly over at Steve, who grinned and turned to Bucky.

“I like him,” he decided, just before slamming his shield into the side of Pierce’s head, dropping the Duke where he stood.

Pride flowed through Bucky as he introduced his feisty lover to his best friend for the very first time. “Told ya.”


	5. A Happy Ending

Tony was ensconced in a large bed, surrounded by the softest, most comfortable blankets and fluffiest pillows that Bucky could find, holding court. He was magnificent, even as he graciously allowed Bucky to reassure himself that his pregnant lover (and soon to be mate, as soon as they had some private time to make it official) was healthy and alive. He knew Tony was just humoring him, but it soothed something in his Alpha psyche to be taking care of his Omega after having been so close to losing him for good.

The local physician had been in a few hours earlier and declared both Tony and the baby healthy, which had been a relief for everybody. The doctor was with the other Omegas now, the ones they had brought with them out of Maveth. Most of them were elderly or sick or just too skittish to be around Alphas and Betas right now, and any other doctor would have probably been refused at the door. But Helen Cho was a tiny no-nonsense woman with a neutralized scent, having intentionally altered her secondary gender so she didn’t register as anything, despite having been born a Beta. And she’d brought several Omega aides with her (and a few young Betas) to help tend to the children. Becca was there, too, and she’d keep the others calm so the doctor could work.

Between the doctor’s checkup and the meeting of Queensland’s top advisors, Tony had wheedled Bucky’s past out of him. Not that Bucky had any objections to admitting that he’d originally been from Queensland, until Hydra soldiers had raided his village on false information, killing most of the elderly and the very young or disabled, and taking whatever - and whoever - they wanted, including Bucky’s sister, Becca, who had tried to protect some of the younger ones and gotten a severe beating for her troubles.

For years, Queensland had lost ground to Hydra, its people forced further and further inwards, its borders shrinking. But when Steve’s attention had been brought to their predicament, Queensland had started fighting back, killing the raiding parties and destroying their own crops, generally making things difficult on Maveth’s resources, which weren’t as endless as they liked to pretend.

Asgard had eventually brokered a tenuous peace by allowing Hydra to use its borders to maneuver around Queensland. Unfortunately, that had only allowed Maveth to move freely around Manhattan, subtly shifting the political climate in its favor. Bucky hated that he’d been part of that, but with his sister’s - and later, Peter’s - life in the balance, he’d had to settle for making a difference where he could and passing along information via his contacts spread throughout Manhattan. The only reprieve he’d gotten from Hydra’s watchful gaze were those few precious weeks he’d managed to steal away with Tony, sinking into the pleasant fog of Heat.

And after all that, here they sat, holding counsel. Pierce had been rescued by his people in an ambush, and Steve had prioritized saving the Omegas over taking a captive. They had enough evidence of Hydra’s underground dealings and underhanded policies to present to the Royals for judgment.

“Would Brooklyn back us, do you think?” Bucky mused pensively, handfeeding Tony a smalle piece of melon, giving a pleased rumble when the Omega hummed happily while chewing.

Tony considered that while he ate, then shook his head. “Well, my father would never agree to help,” he said. “But I have a friend that would be more than happy to take out a Hydra base or two.” And in Bucky’s experience, a loyal friend was more than a paid soldier any day.

“Ah, yes, your friend,” Natalia said, from where she’d settled herself in the corner of the room. “Sir Rhodes, yes?”

Tony smiled at her, soft and familiar, and Bucky bit back a possessive growl. Natalia had been working in the Stark Household for a few years now, and had apparently taken the young Omega under her wing. She had been the one to alert Queensland when Tony had been sold off to Hydra, and the reason that Steve’s camp had been near the border, close enough to come to Bucky’s aid when his guards had decided that he was worth more dead than alive.

“Yeah, Rhodey,” Tony agreed. “He’ll probably bring Sam with him, too. And Yinsen. Bruce.” Bucky vaguely knew about the friends Tony was talking about, though he’d never met them. But Natalia was nodding approvingly, and Bucky supposed that was good enough. He’d tease the details out of Tony later.

The door to the room opened and Tony pulled back instinctively. Bucky didn’t even think; he just moved. Before he realized what he was doing, Bucky was crouched protectively over the Omega, but the familiar scent calmed him quickly enough. Phil Coulson was a Beta, but he was ruthless and efficient, and very little escaped him. Nobody in Steve’s inner circle could be considered ordinary, no matter how they presented themselves.

“Pardon the interruption,” Phil murmured, “but Sir Falsworth is requesting your presence in the main hall.” 

“Oh, yes, of course,” Steve said, rising to his feet. Natalia straightened up from her corner, and Steve smiled at her. Bucky narrowed his eyes; he knew that look. The last time Steve had looked that way, he’d been mooning over Peggy Carter. Who was now his Omega. He had a thing for competent females. Natalia would be returning to Brooklyn in a few days, having come here to visit her ‘brother’.

“You take care of him, yes?” Natalia asked, narrowing her eyes at Bucky. Her accent was thicker than before, more threatening. Bucky had seen the aftermath of Natasha’s efficiency, and felt no shame in being properly wary.

He nodded. “I’ll do my best,” he promised. “An’ if I can’t protect him, I’ll at least die tryin’.” Tony nuzzled into his shoulder, and Bucky stroked his back and hair soothingly, a low rumble running through him, reassuring Tony that he had no intention of leaving the pregnant Omega, much less dying and leaving him completely unprotected.

Natalia narrowed her eyes at him, and Bucky met her gaze straight on. “Good,” Natalia said, turning and leaving the room, following Steve and Phil and leaving Bucky and Tony alone in the guest room.

Not yet ready to talk, Bucky picked up another piece of melon and pressed it to Tony’s lips. Tony sighed, turning his head away, and Bucky pulled back, trying not to let his disappointment and worry show. Tony needed to eat.

The Omega smiled at him, pressing a kiss to his lips and taking the melon from his hand before popping it into his own mouth. Bucky sat back a bit, somewhat mollified, and Tony huffed at him. “Shouldn’t you be checking on your sister or something?” he asked, his tone at odds with his scent, which still screamed _stay with me._

Bucky smiled. “Becca will be jus’ fine,” he murmured. “She’s strong. ‘Sides, I went to go see here when we first brought them in, while the docs were lookin’ you over. She bit me.” He held up his right arm as proof, showing Tony the two tiny puncture marks from his sister’s fangs.

Tony’s lips twitched. “Your sister bit you,” he repeated, amused. Bucky shrugged, only a little bit embarrassed. He’d admit to a lot more to see Tony smile like that. “Why?!” 

Deciding that he was way too far from his Omega, Bucky nudged Tony over a bit before settling on the bed next to him, wrapping his arms around the Omega when Tony curled up against him insistently.

“‘Cause she said I ought be with my fella instead of hoverin’,” he murmured. “Said I was jus’ gonna scare ev’ryone if I kept glarin’.” He hadn’t been glaring, not around a bunch of scared Omegas, but his protective instincts _had_ been going haywire.

Tony huffed, nuzzling at Bucky’s throat, and Bucky growled, his arms tightening around his Omega. “You reek of overprotective Alpha,” Tony informed him, “and you’ve got a murder strut going on. I’m not surprised you were making a bunch of abused, Alpha-shy Omegas nervous.” But Tony was still nudging at his throat, so Bucky wasn’t too offended.

He hummed. “I don’t murder strut,” he muttered at last, grumbling when Tony’s only response was to start laughing.

“You absolutely murder strut,” Tony informed him, grinning impishly when Bucky gave him an irritated glared. “I don’t doesn’t bother me,” he added with a sweet smile. “As a matter of fact, I think it’s really, really hot,” he purred, fluttering his eyelashes. That…was promising.

Bucky twisted around, pressing Tony gently back into the bed and hovering over him. “Yeah?” he asked. “You’re really okay with me bein’ like this?” he wondered, trying not to let his insecurity show.

Tony blinked up at him. “Like what?” he asked, his tone turning flirtatious. “Strong? Sexy? Alpha parent?” His face heated up with a blush, and Bucky wondered what he was thinking about. Bucky chuckled, relief loosening his shoulders as pressed a gentle kiss to Tony’s forehead before working his way down, dropping kisses on Tony’s cheek and chin before pressing one to Tony’s pursed lips, getting a purr of appreciation in return.

“You’re the bes’ thing that’s ever happened to me,” Bucky told Tony seriously. “When I realized it was you that Pierce took, I was more scared than I’ve ever been. I wanted to kill him, but there was a _plan_.” It had been a good plan. A great plan, even. He kept telling himself that. Maybe someday he’d believe it.

Tony stroked his side reassuringly. “I’m here,” he murmured. “They didn’t hurt me. You got me out.” His expression said that he knew Bucky wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t mind. God, Bucky loved him.

Bucky sniffed against him contentedly, enjoying the way Tony’s scent had shifted with the pregnancy, a unique blend of his own natural scent and something extra that would telegraph his condition to every nearby Alpha and Omega. Once Bucky bonded with him, Tony’s scent would even out, declaring him mated and pregnant by the Alpha he’d chosen as his Mate.

“You’re sure your okay with this?” he asked again. “With me bein’, y’know, ex-Hydra an’ all?”

Tony’s scent didn’t change when he answered, still calm and reassuring Bucky that Tony really wasn’t scared or concerned. “Well, I mean, I didn’t much appreciate the whole married-to-an-Alpha-soldier-thing,” he admitted, “and it might’ve been nice if I had known your actual name before we got hitched, but really, I don’t have any complaints. You’re still Bucky, still my friend and Heat partner and lover, and the father of my child. We have a lot to discuss,” he said, his tone serious, “but if I’m being honest here? All I want to do right now is cuddle with you and sleep for the next twenty-four hours or so, then take a hot bath and eat and go join the War Council. Do you think Sir Rogers would let me join the War Council?” he asked, distracted. Bucky knew he was asking out of genuine curiosity,t hough. Omegas weren’t typically involved in politics, and definitely not in war councils.

Bucky laughed. Steve was no more a typical Alpha than Tony was a typical Omega. “Oh, Stevie’ll definitely let you in,” he reassured Tony. “You’ll understand once you meet Peggy. Steve’s Omega,” he clarified when Tony just looked confused. “She’s a tiny thing, but fierce. I’ve seen her knock down Alphas just for lookin’ at her wrong.” Jack hadn’t made that mistake a second time. “And you’re so, so smart,” Bucky added. “They’re gonna love you,” he reassured his lover. There was no way they wouldn’t; Tony was amazing.

Tony pressed his head into Bucky’s neck, trembling slightly as he breathed in the scent of Alpha. Bucky tried to send reassuring thoughts to his Omega, promises of safety and home and love. “Yeah?” Tony asked, his voice shaking just a bit. Bucky very carefully didn’t mention it; he didn’t want to get bitten a second time today.

So instead, he smiled, kissing the top of Tony’s head and turning them so they were curled together, Bucky using his bulkier body to shelter Tony and their unborn child. It still hadn’t really hit him yet, that he was going to be a father. “Yeah,” he murmured, content to doze there on the bed with Tony until they were needed.

And that, Bucky supposed, was all there was to it.


End file.
